Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
MATEO
Since he was the reason Dax had needed to be shoved into the pool, Mateo was reluctant to leave him even when Dax said it’d be a bit before he could get out of the pool again.
He lingered, using the time that Dax needed to be in the pool to strip out of his sopping wet clothes.
He started with his shirt, shoes and socks, then froze when his hands brushed over his pants pocket.
Because he had no warning before being shoved into the pool, everything had gotten wet. Including his phone.
“Shit.”
“What’s wrong?” Dax asked. His eyes widened when Mateo pulled his phone out of his pocket with a grimace and his gaze dropped to the white coat he was still wearing, a look of horror overtaking his face.
“Let me guess. Your phone is in your pocket, too?” Mateo asked, trying to sound light and breezy but the guilt made it sound weak.
With a pinched expression, Dax carefully slid his hand into his pocket, pulling out not only his phone but a USB that was probably important. It only made Mateo feel worse.
“Hey. At least I know someone good with tech who can help me?” Dax said, trying to lighten the mood.
Mateo huffed, but couldn’t look up from his lap, too ashamed to face the man who’d gone out of his way to help him twice only to wind up paying for it. Maybe it was better if he left Dax alone. He didn’t want to make things worse.
He didn't flinch when a tentacle gently caressed his face, nor did he fight it when another plucked the phone from his hands and set it on the pool's edge, drawing him back into the water and into Dax’s arms.
“Take a deep breath,” Dax coached, waiting for Mateo to do as asked before pulling them both under the water.
He’d found out when they fell in that he could open his eyes without it burning, so he didn’t squeeze them shut when they went under.
He let Dax pull him to the bottom, a smile on his face as his tentacles fanned out around him and drew Mateo’s attention.
One held Mateo around the waist, keeping him from floating back to the surface before he was ready, and Mateo couldn’t resist running his hands over it, curiosity getting the best of him.
Dax’s eyes shut at the caress, a small shudder racking his body before his smile came back. He tugged Mateo closer, until they were chest to chest, but he didn’t say anything, likely because he knew Mateo wouldn’t be able to answer him.
The hold felt… intimate. And it would’ve made Mateo’s breath catch if he wasn’t holding it under water. His heart started to thunder in his ears, and his eyes dropped to Dax’s lips, wondering if kissing under water would be different than above it.
Before he could get the answer to that question, the tightness in his chest became too much to ignore, and he kicked to the surface, drawing in a deep breath just as Dax popped up beside him.
“Mateo–”
Dax seemed like he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t get the words out before someone spoke from nearby.
“People are looking for you, you know.”
Startling hard, Mateo jerked around to find Taron standing at the edge of the pool, an eyebrow raised and an amused look on his face.
Mateo realized belatedly that he’d fallen asleep at lunch and had no idea how long he had been asleep before they had to come to the pool to help Dax.
His stomach dropped and he swallowed hard, eyes wide as he stared up at the president of the company.
“I’m not fired, am I?”
Taron snorted, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m not gonna fire you. I am going to demand the story, but that’s because I’m nosy, not because you’re in trouble.” He tipped his head toward the locker room. “Someone said you fell in?”
“Uh… sort of…” he hedged, swimming for the edge of the pool and pulling himself out of the water.
Taron offered him a hand, helping him to his feet, and looked him over critically, like he was trying to see if Mateo was hurt.
“Thanks. I’m okay. It was an accident. Dax needed help getting to the pool and neither of us realized he was clinging to me when his friend pushed him in… It was an accident.”
Taron’s brow furrowed. “Why’d he need help? Are you sick?”
He turned his attention to Dax, who was finally climbing out of the water, looking a lot less pale than before.
Mateo was still worried about him, they’d only been in the water for like ten minutes, but he didn't have that white powder on him anymore and his tentacles were moving like they normally did. Maybe ten minutes was enough?
“Not sick,” Dax explained, a sheepish look overtaking his face. “I may have stayed out in the sun for a little longer than I should’ve. I just needed to rehydrate, that’s all. Mateo fell in while helping me into the pool.”
Taron looked stricken, looking Dax over with concern. “Do you need a healer? Sun sickness in krakens is dangerous. You don’t need to get out of the pool if you’re not ready–”
Putting his hands up, Dax’s smile brightened. “I’m fine, I promise. I wasn’t out in the sun that long. I’m okay.”
His reassurance seemed to help Taron, but Mateo was still concerned. This was all his fault. He should’ve skipped lunch and had a nap at his desk if it was that bad. He shouldn’t have forced Dax’s hand to take care of him.
“Well, as long as you’re both okay, I think we can let this slide.
Jonah was concerned when you didn’t come back from lunch, Mateo.
It was lucky I was going for a walk and overheard a few people talking about what happened.
Next time, don’t hesitate to call for a healer.
I’m going to send one up to the Medical Innovations floor just to check you over.
I don’t want my researchers getting sick.
You’re the real MVPs of this operation anyway.
” He winked, and Dax chuckled, shaking his head, but Mateo didn’t join in.
He felt awful. The one guy he considered a friend got hurt because of him.
Taron started to wander away, but back pedaled after a few steps to point at Mateo. “You’re busy right now, but I want to talk to you about the other day. I’ll check in later, alright?”
Mateo forced himself to nod and masked a grimace. Taron didn't notice the struggle and wiggled his fingers before leaving Dax and Mateo alone. Dax grabbed their wet clothes with a tentacle, putting his hands on Mateo’s shoulders to urge him toward the locker room. “Come on. Let’s dry off.”
He went, the whole time silently berating himself for being so stupid.
He barely noticed when Dax pushed him onto a bench to sit, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
He heard the rustle of Dax removing his wet clothes, the beep of the drying machine as he set their clothes to dry.
He didn’t look up until Dax pulled him to his feet again, a kind smile on his face as he squeezed Mateo’s hands reassuringly.
“I promise, I’m fine. I made the choice to stay out there. It’s just as much my fault as yours. I wanted you to get rest more than I wanted to take care of myself. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“But you got hurt–” Mateo croaked, only for Dax to shush him, pulling him into a tight hug.
When a few tentacles got involved, squeezing Mateo tightly, he let out a shaky sigh and hugged him back.
Something had to be said about hugs with multiple limbs.
It was tight around most of his body without being painful, giving him the comfort he needed all over.
The skin to skin contact was nice too, but he tried his best not to focus on that.
Having a half naked, sexy man holding him—was it half naked?
He didn’t have a shirt on, but he never wore anything on his lower half even when he did.
Full naked? No, that didn’t sound right, but it gave Mateo plenty of dirty ideas, and he refused to think of his friend like that.
Not after all the trouble he’d caused him.
“I know of a way you can make it up to me,” Dax said without pulling out of the hug, like he knew Mateo wasn’t ready to let go yet. He forgot the last time someone hugged him. When his sister last came to visit, maybe?
“How?” he murmured, resting his forehead against Dax’s shoulder. It would take serious work not to melt into a hug like this. He needed to remember that he had to get back upstairs at some point.
“Join me for dinner? I know this really good food truck. It serves the world’s best fried chicken.”
The request eased the tightness in Mateo’s chest and made him chuckle. He straightened with a nod, figuring he owed Dax a meal at the very least for all the trouble he caused. “Sounds good. But you have to let me pay. I won’t stop feeling guilty otherwise.”
As his tentacles slipped away, Dax put his hands up in surrender, a goofy grin on his face. “Hey, I won’t say no to a gorgeous guy treating me to a meal. Now take off your pants.”
Mateo choked, eyes wide. “W-What?”
Dax’s head flew back on a laugh, his tentacles writhing with amusement. “To dry them, Mateo. Unless you want to go back upstairs in wet pants?”
His face burned as he realized what Dax meant. He’d completely blocked out the feeling of the wet material against his legs, too focused on the guilt and the way the hug Dax had given him had settled him better than any other hug he’d ever gotten. He almost regretted having to pull away.
It’d be really uncomfortable spending the whole day in wet pants, but he realized he’d have to get naked to dry both pants and underwear, and with Dax nearby, he was almost too embarrassed. He’d changed in locker rooms before, plenty of times. Never in front of someone he was attracted to, though.
“Uh…”
Dax cocked his head, studying him with a frown. It took him a minute to realize why Mateo was embarrassed. He flushed, a tentacle rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Oh, um… if you want to get undressed in a stall, I can take your clothes and dry them for you.”
Maybe he would’ve preferred that, but he was also aware that Dax was sick earlier and he didn't want him to have to go to all the trouble. “No, uh, it’s fine. Can you just… turn around?”
Dax did as asked, allowing Mateo to go to the drying machine and trade out the dry clothes for wet ones, but despite him not looking, the air felt charged between them and even after he was covered again, he felt like the tension between them was palpable.
“You can turn around,” he murmured, his breath catching as Dax turned and their eyes locked. His eyes dropped to the kraken’s lips like they had in the pool, and his hands twitched against the urge to reach out and touch.
This wasn’t a good idea. He’d caused Dax enough trouble, they worked together, his home life was driving him insane. The reasons just kept piling on. Now was the worst time for this. But…
He took a step closer, his mind and body at war, and was just reaching out, to do what, he didn’t even know, when the door to the locker room burst open, and the kelpies who had been in the pool before came in, towels around their waists as they argued between themselves.
The disruption startled Mateo, and he jumped back, heart still pounding as the awkwardness set in. “Uh… I should get back to work. I’ll see you later.”
And, like a coward, he high tailed it out of the locker room without looking back. He really needed to get a grip. He wasn’t even sure if Dax was interested.