“It seems you’re having about as much fun up here as I had downstairs,” Ronan drawled from where he’d apparently come to lean against the doorframe of Emory’s bedroom.
Cameron pulled a sheet over his legs, and Ronan raised an eyebrow. “It could be worse,” Cameron said with a sigh. “I was naked with only a coconut shell on my head two minutes ago.”
A sort of manic grin spread across Ronan’s face. “You’re a coconut octopus then?”
“Ding ding ding,” Cameron said with little enthusiasm. Emory cocked his head in confusion.
“Ronan has been trying to guess what kind of octopus I am,” Cameron said with an exaggerated eye roll.
“You can sprint around on your tentacles, right? Like run really fast, but underwater?” Ronan asked with that same exhausted yet somehow wild energy emanating off him.
Cameron smiled bemusedly. “My species can, yes. Why do you and Emory know so much about coconut octopuses? We’re not incredibly common.”
“Emory and his dad saw one when they went to Hawaii, and he told me all about it when he got home. I don’t remember much, but I’ve been googling all the different octopuses, trying to guess what you are, and I remembered him telling me how amazing he thought they were,” Ronan said. His smile turned a little softer as he gazed at Cameron. “He said they were like ‘little world builders.’”
Cameron turned and looked up at Emory with wonder in his eyes.
Emory had completely forgotten about that. His father had been so eager to go snorkeling, and they’d come across a groupof octopus who had built a little city out of discarded shells, coral, and pieces of driftwood. His father had spent the whole trip back to their hotel telling Emory all about octopuses and how impressive they were. That was why they’d always stopped by the octopus exhibits at the aquarium. His father had loved them.
And now here Emory was, madly in love and hopefully soon to be mated to one.
“My father loved octopuses,” Emory said, and his voice cracked for the umpteenth time that day. “He thought all of their quirks and eccentricities were amazing. He’s the reason I spent so much time at the aquarium. He…would have loved you so much.”
“Just like you love him?” Ronan pressed, walking up to them like Cameron wasn’t barely dressed, crying silent tears as Emory fought to hold back his own.
“Just like I love you,” Emory parroted, brushing a few tears off Cameron’s cheek with the back of his hand.
“And I love you,” Cameron said, his beautiful smile slowly spreading across his face.
“That wasn’t the first time you said that, right? I didn’t just intrude on your big, semi-naked moment?” Ronan asked.
Cameron burst into giggles, and Emory couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh too.
“Emory?” a voice called from the living area.
His mother’s voice.
“Just a minute!” Ronan shouted, rushing to the door and slamming it shut.
Emory’s mouth dropped open, and Cameron gawked.
“What? You really want her to walk in and see her son and son-in-law looking like they walked off a Hustler photo shoot?”
Cameron grabbed his clothes off the bed and bolted for the closet.
“Honey–” Emory called, standing up to follow him, afraid Cameron was throwing himself back into his den.
“Just getting dressed!” he shouted, and Emory slumped back down onto the bed.
Ronan placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”
Emory ran a hand down his face, hopefully wiping away the last of his tears. “I’m definitely not great. But I have you, my mother, and the love of my life in my corner, so I suppose it could be worse.”
Ronan smirked. “You’re right, it could be worse. Your mom could have walked in on you guys fucking each other while wearing coconuts.”
Emory groaned, and Cameron snickered as he emerged from the closet. He was back in his somewhat rumpled clothes, holding Emory’s letterman jacket over his arm. Emory took the jacket and, at the urging of his lion, settled it over Cameron’s shoulders again.
Those two freckles disappeared as Cameron smirked at him. “Is this some sort of jock pre-mating ritual?”
