His knot rose, and Cameron bore down with all the strength he had left, allowing it to slide smoothly into place. Every time this happened, Cameron couldn’t help but think they might truly have been made for each other.
As Emory hiked Cameron a little higher up on his hips, so he could comfortably settle on his knot, Cameron’s tentacles reached for Emory of their own volition. Before Cameron could retract them, Emory held up his palm and gently pressed against one of the tentacles like he was giving it a high-five.
“Are they sensitive?” he asked, his voice made of gravel and grit.
“A little. It’s not, like, sexual, it just feels good when you touch them…like italwaysfeels good when you touch me.”
Emory reverently ran two fingers down the top of one tentacle, stopping near Cameron’s hip. As he tried to pull back, Cameron’s tentacle had other ideas, wrapping possessively around his hand. Emory made a surprised noise and then absently traced the rim of one of his suction cups with his thumb.
Cameron shivered, clinging tighter to Emory’s shoulders. The warm water was keeping his octopus happily sated, but the knot inside him and Emory's gentle ministrations were threatening to crank the heat back up between them.
“That’s actually really sensitive. It’s…kind of the same feeling as being tickled. It’s not sexual, but it sort of turns me on.”
Cameron jolted in surprise as Emory’s tail moved again. He’d sort of forgotten it there on his calf, but it waved happily in the air now.
“It’s so cute,” Cameron said, reaching for it only to have it dodge away from his hand. It came back a moment later and smacked against his arm. Emory let out a low chuckle, and Cameron’s tentacles waggled happily at his sides.
“My lion likes to think that everything about him is fearsome and impressive.”
Cameron reached for his tail again, laughing as it dodged and weaved, smacking playfully against one of his tentacles.
“Do you let your tail out often?”
“Only around a few people. I don’t have my clothes designed for it, because I don’t feel aneedto let it out, but it’s nice to have it out at home sometimes.”
Emory threaded his fingers through Cameron’s, stopping his little game of chase, and his tail wound around Cameron’s leg again.
They did their best to shower, given that they were still attached to each other. When Emory’s knot finally released, Cameron retracted his tentacles and awkwardly stood up on his own for the first time in over an hour. He was a bit shaky, so Emory led him back into the bedroom with a solid arm around his shoulders. He got Cameron settled in bed before retreating to the other room to grab them both water.
Cameron burrowed into the somewhat soiled sheets, resigning himself to probably needing a more proper shower before he left. He wasn’t sure when that would be, exactly. Emory’s rut was complete, but neither of them had gotten any sleep except for Cameron’s brief little nap during their first knotting. He didn’t want to be a nuisance, but he also had very little interest in navigating public transport on no sleep.
He was just beginning to drift off when he heard Emory growl in annoyance. He pried his eyes open, afraid maybe he had already overstayed his welcome, but he found Emory glaring down at his phone as he slipped back into bed. He absently handed Cameron his phone, which had been sitting forgotten on the nightstand.
Cameron only spared it a passing glance, noting ten missed texts from his sister, a few from Christopher and Ronan, and an alarming forty-seven texts in their family group chat. He wasn’t going to deal with that until he’d gotten more sleep. When Emory had been on the phone, he’d reported to the family chat that he’d be out of pocket while he helped Emory through rut, and that he would talk to them whenever he talked to them.
Emory, unfortunately, didn’t seem to have the same leniency. “My mother has sent me three separate calendar invitations so that I’m sure not to forget we’re wanted back at the family estate at the end of March.”
Cameron’s insides did an uncomfortable rise and drop maneuver, and he burrowed even deeper under the covers. Emory wrapped an arm around him but continued to stare down at his phone.
They had discussed this very briefly after Emory’s phone call, and Cameron really didn’t want to think too much more on it, so he pulled the sheet up over his head. He knew meeting Emory’s family wasn’t going to be easy, but they had weathered a surprise rut, and they were still standing. Maybe after another month of intentional dating, they would be ready.
Emory began to stroke Cameron’s head through the covers, and they sat in companionable silence for long enough that Cameron drifted off to sleep.
They were lucky Emory’s rut had waited until a Friday night to start. They spent the remainder of the day Saturday and, to Cameron’s pleasure, all day Sunday together. Emory checked hisphone a lot and took several phone calls, but in between, he was all Cameron’s.
This, of course, greatly pleased Cameron’s octopus. Cameron’s tentacles popped out at the kitchen table during breakfast, while they were snuggling on the couch, and in the third shower they took together. Each time, Emory looked more and more enamored with them—and with Cameron.
Cameron’s octopus was very smug about this.
Still, Cameron felt some of his previous reticence return as Sunday drew to a close and they had to say goodbye.
“I’ve already arranged with Christopher to have an extended lunch break on Wednesday, and I’ll pick you up Saturday evening to spend the night, and all day Sunday at my place,” Emory assured him, but Cameron had been canceled on one too many times to fully believe it. He knew Emory had to move mountains at work, and with rumors of his cousin’s return beginning to make appearances on social media, Cameron was braced for more cancellations.
That was why, when he found Ronan standing on his doorstep at 10am on Wednesday, he assumed he had been sent as some sort of apology.
“I’m more of an insurance policy,” Ronan said with a smirk. “I’m going to take you to Emory’s office so he has no excuse.”
As they drove across town, Cameron shyly invited him to join them. Ronan was hesitant at first, but with a little prodding, he agreed.
