Page 67 of Music of the Ocean

The tentacles around his wrists loosened, then released entirely. Saxby’s arms dropped to his sides, heavy and tingling. He swayed, and Indigo’s free hand came up to steady him, fingers curling around his shoulder. His head dropped forward, forehead pressing against Indigo’s chest.

Each ragged breath made his shoulders rise and fall.

The mesh platform shifted beneath them as Indigo adjusted his position, drawing Saxby closer. For several seconds, neither of them moved. The only sounds were the soft churn of the water and the diminishing hitch of Saxby’s breathing.

Indigo’s tentacles unwound from Saxby’s body one by one, each releasing with a gentle, deliberate slowness. The last one, the one that had been wrapped around his cock, slid free with a final, lingering squeeze that drew a weak shudder from Saxby’s frame.

Saxby’s knees gave out. He sank sideways, and Indigo caught him, easing him down onto the mesh platform. The material conformed to his body, cradling him as he settled onto his back.

Indigo hovered beside him for a moment, tentacles curling and uncurling in the water. Then, he lowered himself onto the mesh, his body aligning parallel to Saxby’s.

Indigo rested his hand Saxby’s chest, his fingers splaying over his sternum. A single tentacle wound loosely around Saxby’s ankle, the touch light and anchoring.

Saxby turned his head toward Indigo. He reached up with a hand that still trembled and placed it over Indigo’s where it rested on his chest. “That was unbelievable. Mind-blowing. I’ve never felt anything like that.”

“I have not either.”

“Shit.” Saxby’s head popped up. “Did you…? You didn’t, did you? Hell, Indigo, I don’t even know how it works with you.”

“I did not come, no. And yes, we need to discuss my anatomy. I am made differently than you.”

“I know. Um, can I do anything to help you out? This feels kind of one sided.”

“I found enjoyment, trust me. And after we talk—”

Saxby huffed. “Aw jeez. Come on, you gotta know those words strike fear into every man alive, right?”

“I guess I do not, no. All I meant was I needed to explain my anatomy. That is all.”

“Okay, yeah, that is something we do need to do.”

“After we speak, you can make it up to me if you wish. No pressure,” Indigo said as his thumb traced a slow circle against Saxby’s skin.

“Oh, I wish.” Saxby noticed the bioluminescent markings along Indigo’s arms had dimmed to a soft, steady glow.

“Go to sleep, mate. Tomorrow is a new day.”

Saxby turned his face up so Indigo could kiss him. Yeah, tomorrow was a new day, one he couldn’t wait to greet. His breathing evened out, each exhale sending a stream of tiny bubbles upward as his grip on Indigo’s hand loosened.

Indigo shifted closer, his body curving around Saxby’s. The mesh platform adjusted beneath them, forming a shallow depression that cradled both their forms. Saxby’s eyes closed and his body relaxed, leaving him boneless and still.

The chamber darkened further as the city’s lighting cycle shifted toward its nocturnal phase.

SAXBY WOKE to the slow pulse of the city’s morning light cycle.

The mesh platform cradled him in its warm depression, and he lay still, registering the weight of Indigo’s arm draped across his chest and the gentle curl of tentacles around his legs.

He turned his head. Indigo was already awake, propped on one elbow, watching him with an expression Saxby couldn’t quite read. The tentacles tangled around his body during sleep were withdrawing, uncoiling with a fluid grace that left trails of warmth where they’d been.

“Morning,” Saxby said, his voice rough with sleep. He stretched, feeling the satisfying pull of his muscles.

“Good morning.” Indigo shifted, rising from the mesh with a ripple of movement that sent the water swirling around them. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.” Saxby pushed himself upright.

“By the way, later I wish to show you something,” Indigo said. “It is a Kelp-sauna. They are dense kelp beds that trap warm water and release tannins, which can help clean a body and reduce oil and bacteria on the skin. The natural plant proteins can soothe minor rashes, too.”

Saxby blinked at him. “I… I don’t get it.”