“Yes, but I wanted to make sure that you were fine first.”He glanced off to the side.“Now I’m not sure I succeeded.”
Kai’s gaze dropped to his feet, walking away from a place he hated.“I stopped being fine when I met Nick.”
The tentacles around Kai tightened.Fian didn’t have to say anything, and Kai was glad.He didn’t really know what to say either.
The White Anchor Inn sat close to the ocean, but further down the coast.Kai had trouble keeping his eyes open on the way there, and being wrapped in the warmth of tentacles didn’t make it any easier.
When Zazine pulled up in front of the three-story building with fairy lights strung around the porch and a big white anchor on the front lawn, Fian shifted back to his human configuration, and that roused Kai.
“We’re here.You two should get some rest,” Zazine said.
Fian nodded and picked up all of Kai’s things.“We will.I’ll make sure.”
They got off and waved goodbye to her.“See you in the Morpheusrealm,” she said and sped away into the night.
“Was that ominous?”Kai asked.
“No.Demons aren’t really ominous.”
Kai leaned against Fian’s side.“Your brother is sort of ominous.”
“Do you think so?I agree, but everyone likes him.”
Kai shrugged.“He ate people.”
“I prefer mushrooms.”
“Me too.”
They headed into the hotel, checked in, and finally got into a clean double room with an ocean view.Kai looked at the double bed, suddenly uncertain.
“I’m not sure how we do this.I’m not sure…”
Fian hugged him from behind, still human.“Nothing that you don’t want, Kai.Besides, this isn’t that kind of hotel.You’re very tired, and I’d like to show you around.I’ll take you to the Morpheusrealm from here.”
“Okay.I thought you’d have to go back out there.”He looked at the ocean that lay in the obsidian darkness, reflecting pale moonlight on every other wave.
“I can follow a dreamer too.It’s less common, and I’ve never done it, but it’s not hard.”
“Okay then.”Kai took a deep breath, once more reveling in the fact that he was free, that he could make his own decisions once again.
That he could move on from everything that had happened.
Fian rested his chin on Kai’s shoulder.“Should we—”
Kai liked him being that close, he realized, and turned.“I don’t even have a change of clothes.Or underwear.”
Fian blinked down at him.“Oh.We’ll go to the mall tomorrow.”
“And I have to build up my life again.One piece of it at a time.I don’t know if I can have someone in there just yet, but right now I feel safe with you.And I don’t want to be alone.”
Fian’s face flushed with color, blue and purple, demon colors.“I’m so glad.I just wish…” He shook his head and looked away.“I wish I’d found you sooner.”
Kai groaned.“That’s too deep for me right now.I’m going to bed.”
He stripped, not daring to meet Fian’s eyes, though Fian had seen him almost naked before in the changing room.Then he slid under the covers.He didn’t dare look at Fian.
The demon closed the curtains, stripped as well.He walked around the bed so he was facing Kai, his tentacles out.
