Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DAX
Dax got a few questions about why he was so late when he returned to his floor, but he kept his answers vague, assuring the healer when she came to visit that he was fine and not at risk of sun sickness.
Next time he would sit closer to the lake.
A few tentacles in the water would’ve been enough for him to stay hydrated while Mateo got his rest. He’d learn from his mistakes.
It was hard to focus on his work after that last interaction with Mateo.
He wasn’t sure if he was projecting or not, but it looked to him like Mateo was staring at his mouth when they stood across from each other in the locker room.
What were the chances his mate was feeling desire for him?
Did that mean he was ready to discuss the mating thing?
He banished the thought the moment it crossed his mind. Desire wasn’t a sign of Mateo being ready. He was exhausted and barely getting through each day. It wasn’t the right time. Though maybe if they were intimate… He groaned and shook off the thought. He really needed to focus on his work.
In the end, he was too distracted to get any real work done in the short time he had left of the day.
Between Mateo’s nap and Dax’s need for pool time, he’d lost a lot of his afternoon.
He couldn’t consider it a waste though. Mateo at least looked alert when he scurried off.
If the nap helped, that was all that mattered to Dax.
He didn’t bring his work home with him since he valued his down time, and it wasn’t until he was in the lobby that he remembered his phone was broken.
Rovan warned him he should have a waterproof one.
He hadn’t thought he’d need one. He didn’t use it much outside of texting his siblings and often left it on his desk when he went to the gym.
Now, though, he wasn’t sure how to get ahold of Mateo to meet for dinner.
He couldn’t even ask the front desk to borrow a phone since Mateo’s phone was broken as well.
Standing off to one side, he watched the throngs of his coworkers leaving the building, all bustling with excitement as they headed home for the weekend.
He was a little worried he might’ve missed Mateo entirely as the mass thinned, when another elevator opened and his mate stepped out. He looked… dejected.
Dax’s heart sank, and he moved to meet Mateo halfway, putting a hand on his shoulder when Mateo stopped but didn’t look up. Why did he look so defeated?
“Mateo? What’s wrong?”
“Aside from missing most of the afternoon and forcing my coworkers to pick up the slack?” Mateo asked, grimacing. “I got an email from Taron. There’s going to be a house meeting this weekend, and I know he’ll ask about what’s been going on. I don’t want to cause issues for my roommates, too.”
Sliding an arm around Mateo’s shoulders, Dax squeezed gently.
“Come on. Let’s talk about this on the way to dinner.
” He guided them toward the doors, rubbing Mateo’s arm soothingly.
He didn’t think it was a good idea to let things fester, so he asked, “Wouldn’t it be good to get any grievances out in the open instead of sitting with them?
You’re not sleeping, Mateo. That’s not a good thing. ”
“It’s not their fault,” he whined. “I don’t want to make things awkward.”
The more time he spent with the man, the more Dax felt like his mate didn’t like conflict.
Telling roommates about things that are bothering you could be awkward, sure, but it was better than not getting any sleep.
He didn’t think it was a good idea to argue the point, though.
If Mateo didn’t want to talk about it, then he didn’t have to.
“How about you tell me what’s been going on. We’ll figure out a way to deal with it together. We’ve already got Miles coming over on Sunday to set up a ward so you can sleep better.”
Mateo looked up sharply, his brows drawn tight. “We… do?”
Chuckling, Dax asked, “Do you not remember? He’s a friend of mine, owes me a favor.
I asked him to set up a ward to block out sound so you can get some sleep.
He’d do it tonight, but apparently he has a date, and he needs to gather his energy for a permanent ward.
It’s not as simple as something temporary would be. ”
“Oh, but– He doesn’t have to do that…” Mateo said that, but his words didn’t match his eyes that looked so hopeful, it almost made Dax laugh.
“Don’t worry about it,” Dax reassured him, squeezing his shoulders again as they waited for the light to change so they could cross the street.
“I told you, he owes me a favor. Maybe if you’re good, I’ll tell you the story.
” He winked, and a smile cracked Mateo’s lips just like he hoped.
“Is anything else going on that is bothering you?”
Mateo shook his head. “It’s fine. I feel like if I can just get some sleep, I can handle the rest. I haven’t lived with other people in a long time. It just takes some getting used to.”
Well, he wasn’t going to push, but he would check in after Mateo started getting decent sleep.
If there were more problems than just the noise thing, then Mateo shouldn’t have to just put up with it.
If he wasn’t willing to address it, Dax was more than happy to do it for him. Anything to make his mate happy.
MATEO
Mateo was kind of glad for the distraction.
While he didn’t get berated by Roz or Jonah, he did feel bad after hearing how his coworkers had needed to do his work for him.
Jonah had been concerned for him, but luckily he didn't ask too many questions. He didn’t think Taron would be so kind.
Maybe he’d let it go when Mateo told him he was getting a sound ward put up so he could sleep better?
It was a simple solution and wouldn’t cause any drama. Right?
He was grateful that Dax asked his friend to help him.
He tried to protest a little, but he couldn’t say he didn't want the ward. If he could afford one, he would’ve gotten one himself.
But hiring a mage or witch to put up a ward, even one that only blocked sounds, was usually really expensive.
He’d looked into it while living in his last place.
He would’ve gotten into a lot of trouble for it, the human side of town didn’t allow magic, but he’d been desperate when he first moved in.
He ended up just sleeping with cotton in his ears and learned to survive on less sleep.
He looked forward to some real quiet once the ward was up.
“How far are we going?” he queried when they ended up stuck waiting for another light.
Since it was the end of the workday, the sidewalks were crowded with supes heading home for the day.
He almost always waited until the rush was over before leaving, preferring to get some extra work done rather than fight with the crowds, but Dax didn’t seem bothered, keeping his arm around Mateo’s shoulders and expertly weaving them through the crowds of supes.
“Don’t worry. It’s not far.” Dax replied, his voice upbeat despite it being the end of the work day and everything that had happened at lunch. What Mateo would give for that kind of energy.
“How far is not far? Because I’ve been told by supes before that something isn’t far and ended up walking for miles. What’s not far for a griffin isn’t the same for a human.”
Dax snorted, amused by Mateo’s grumbling. “Well, I’m not a griffin, and I don’t have wings. Unless we were in the water, I think our idea of not far would be pretty similar.”
Humming noncommittally, Mateo chose to make that judgment after they arrived at their destination.
While they walked, Mateo couldn’t help but watch the way Dax moved, his tentacles smoothly rolling beneath him.
He didn’t seem to need to use all of them to walk, some of them tucked against him to keep from being stepped on.
And despite the added appendages and the difference in movement, he didn’t have an odd stride that made it hard for Mateo to keep up.
Mateo would’ve thought he’d move in sort of a reach and pull movement, but it was more like a rolling shift. It was fascinating to watch.
“There.” Dax pointed to a bright red food truck with a bucket of fried chicken painted on the side along with the name Mother Cluckers, which made Mateo snort.
Even with the crowds, the smell of fried chicken hit him when they came within a block of the thing, and Mateo’s stomach rumbled so loud, Dax heard it.
He laughed, nodding enthusiastically. “I know, right? If you think it smells good, wait until you taste it.”
The line for the food truck was long, but not overly slow, and soon Mateo had a to-go container of fried chicken and some kind of strawberry soda that looked interesting enough for him to try.
“Come on. There’s a park nearby we can eat at.”
When Mateo hesitated, Dax smirked at him, using a tentacle to pull his wrist to get him moving. “There’s a pond there we can sit by. I’ll be fine. Come on, Mateo! I’m hungry!”
Reluctantly, Mateo allowed himself to be pulled down the street to the little park hidden behind some tall hedges.
He didn’t love the idea of sitting on the ground, but the benches were all full of supes enjoying the evening, even if there was one close enough to the pond for Dax to reach it.
Mateo put up with the discomfort, sitting cross legged on the ground near the edge of the pond with his food in his lap and his drink balanced against his hip.
Dax sat next to him, two tentacles slipping into the water and gliding lazily through it. Mateo tried not to make a face. What were the chances the pond wasn’t full of algae or something else sticky and gross people wouldn’t want on their skin?
He tried not to stare, giving his attention to his food, but he must’ve glanced toward the pond one too many times because Dax noticed and smirked, waving the tip of one tentacle cheekily.
“Does the human have questions? Go ahead and ask. I’m not shy.”
That was clear from the moment they met.
Not many other people would be so grabby with a new acquaintance.
Not that Mateo was complaining. The hug was definitely necessary and really nice.
Not to mention the massages. Though he might’ve been a little more apprehensive if he’d thought about those tentacles that had been walking on the ground grabbing at him right after.
He didn’t want to sound rude, but he didn’t want to ignore Dax either. He grimaced, trying to ask the question without sounding judgmental. “It's not considered weird to use them to walk and grab things?” He gave a pointed look at the tentacle holding a piece of fried chicken like a toy.
Dax laughed, shaking his head. “You’re thinking like a human.
It’s not weird for me. Lots of supes have different types of limbs and use them to walk and grab things.
Besides, our bodies were made for water.
Magic does a lot to keep my tentacles clean and healthy.
If I’m worried about it, a rinse is all I need. ”
He demonstrated by dipping a tentacle into the pond and swirling it for a second. When he pulled it back out, he flicked water at Mateo, who squawked in protest. “Hey!”
Unrepentant, Dax flashed him a wicked grin, a tentacle stretching toward the water again. Mateo pointed a stern finger at him, glad nothing green and slimy had splashed on him while Dax was being playful.
“No. Be good or I won’t help the next time you screw up and lock yourself out of your workstation.”
The kraken’s eyes widened, but his grin didn’t dim even a little, even while he put up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay,” he snickered. “Eat your food. I promise, you’ll love it.”
Maybe. But he got the feeling it was spending time with Dax that truly made the meal a good one.