Coming Up for Air Read online

  “Come into the water with me,” he said. Then, more seductively as he swam away, “Do you want to see what I look like in this form?”

  Leigh did—he really did. His conflict stemmed only from fearing he was bad for Tolly, a bad element, bad example, bad everything. Here was this miraculous, beautiful being, offering himself up, and Leigh was caught in a net of violence and lies that could easily drag Tolly down with him.

  Of course Leigh kept seeing something terrible in his dreams. Tolly might be from a race of killers, but Leigh was the one who would soon have murder on his hands.

  “Holy shit.”

  The voice brought Leigh to attention, recognizing the alarm on Tolly’s face only after he heard Alvin exclaim from behind him.

  Alvin!

  Whirling around, Leigh saw a bag on the ground that Alvin must have dropped—Tolly’s papers—and the unmistakable shock on his friend’s face as he saw Tolly’s tail, that he had a tail, his tail. Shit!

  “Alvin—”

  “A mermaid? He’s a freaking mermaid? No wonder he talks so weird. This is huge! Like talking dog huge! Like… are fairies real too?” Alvin rushed toward Tolly in the pool. “Unicorns? Wizards? Do you grant wishes?”

  “Al.” Leigh scrambled to his feet to ward him off. “He’s not a fucking genie.”

  “I thought you were fooling around in here, not communing with Flipper!”

  “Stop,” Leigh warned him, since Tolly had already ducked down in defense. “You’re freaking him out.”

  “What? Why? This is the coolest thing ever!”

  “Leigh,” Tolly called tentatively from the water, “I need to sing.”

  “No.” Leigh spun to face him again. “You can’t—”

  “Sing? Like put a spell on me?” Alvin spoke over Leigh’s shoulder. “I’m not gonna say anything!”

  “Do you promise?” Tolly swam to the edge, his tail glittering beneath him but mostly concealed. “I would only wipe your memory of the past few minutes. I would never harm you, but should anyone untrustworthy discover what I am—”

  “I’m trustworthy!” Alvin raised his hands in surrender. “You’re helping me with Cary. You’re my hero right now, Tolly.”

  Before Leigh could recognize what was happening, Alvin dropped into a cross-legged position right at his feet and scooted to the edge of the pool.

  “We talked today. Like words exchanged. It was the best thing ever. No signing yet, I want to be better at that first, but it’s progress and it’s all because of you. Plus, you saved Leigh’s life! I’ll owe you forever, Nemo. Or should I call you Creature from the Blue Lagoon?”

  “It’s Black Lagoon,” Leigh droned, calming now that he saw the warm smile blossoming on Tolly’s face.

  “Not looking like that he’s not.” Alvin winked. “Your tail, by the way, is gorgeous. Can I touch it?”

  “No.” Leigh hadn’t even touched it yet.

  “You do not mind that I lied to you?” Tolly asked.

  “You’re a mermaid. Of course you lied. You tell the truth, people will think you’re nuts. Or throw you in a government lab somewhere. But you can trust me, we’re buds! So—” Alvin scooted closer, leaning forward enough that the proper momentum could have tipped him right into the water—and oh how Leigh was tempted…. “—if you sang, what would it do to me? Like hypnotize me?”

  “In a way.” Tolly glowed under the positive attention, surprised but pleased by Alvin’s response. Leigh couldn’t deny he felt the same, and really, he should have known better coming from his friend.

  Suddenly, all the questions he’d been too afraid to ask could be asked by Alvin, who had no filter whatsoever, and Tolly didn’t seem to mind answering a single one.

  “Are there mermaid cities? What do you eat down there? How do you see underwater when it’s so dark? Do you ever get attacked by scary ocean creatures?”

  Tolly answered every question calmly and thoughtfully.

  No, they did not have cities the way it showed in The Little Mermaid or stories about Atlantis. They lived near coral or in underwater caves in communities so they could hunt together and protect one another from predators. Some creatures might try to attack them, but most kept away from his kin. He ate fish and birds and anything he could get his hands on, but he loved fruit and vegetables when he managed to get some from a tree or garden near water.

  “My eyes cut through the darkness and it looks as clear to me as daylight.”

  “Do they glow like a cat’s?”

  “No, it is different than that,” Tolly said with hesitancy, and Leigh wondered if his eyes changed underwater. He didn’t remember them looking any different.

  “You wouldn’t eat a cat, would you?”

  “Why would I eat a cat?” Tolly said, offended. “They are quite intelligent from what I hear, and affectionate creatures. I would much prefer to pet one someday.”

  “You’ve never pet a cat?”

  “Alvin,” Leigh spoke up before long, “leave the poor guy alone so he can catch his breath. It’s late. We should go up.”

  Alvin looked thoroughly betrayed at the idea of calling it a night, but Tolly nodded, and Leigh grabbed Alvin’s arm to hoist him up.

  “How do you change back?” Alvin jumped right in again. “Does it take a while? Does it hurt? Do you have to be dry?”

  “Not at all,” Tolly answered all his questions in one as he started to lift up.

  “Tolly.” Leigh stopped him. “Naked.”

  “Oh. My apologies.” Tolly sank back down, hidden by the ledge of the pool. “Would you hand me my trunks, please, Alvin?”

  “Spoilsport,” Alvin grumbled after tossing Tolly his shorts. “I was hoping for some Free Willy.”

  Leigh groaned, though he had a feeling he’d tracked down the source of Ralph’s pickup lines.

  “That is so cool,” Alvin said when Tolly finally lifted out of the water with legs and wearing his trunks.

  They went upstairs so Alvin could give them the ID and papers. It was official—Tolly could get a job now, buy alcohol, drive a car even. Well maybe not that unless he really wanted to learn.

  While Tolly went into the bedroom to change, Leigh told Alvin his suspicions about the Morettis planning a takeover and the detectives hanging around more lately.

  “What do we do? Warn Pops?”

  “With the way he reacts? It’ll only make things worse. We need to wait for the meet-up between Vincent, Sam, and Rosa.”

  “So we can take ’em all out?”

  “So we can… figure out another plan.”

  Alvin stared at him with none of the usual mischief. “You don’t want to do it, do you? Off Moretti.”

  “Would you?”

  “I don’t know.” Alvin shrugged, looking young and unsure despite the collection of crimes between them. “Dad’s gonna expect it of me someday. What, you thinking of going straight for Shark Week? Figuratively speaking.”

  Leigh cracked as much of a smile as he could manage while ignoring the bile churning in his stomach. “Not only for him, but I don’t know. I don’t know what I want.”

  He must have betrayed his concern over leaving Alvin to this life alone, because Alvin said, “Hey, I’ll be fine. You do you. And definitely do him.” He winked toward the bedroom.

  “Al….”

  “Please tell me I interrupted something super kinky—”

  “No.”

  “Aw, haven’t sampled the sushi yet?”

  “Seriously?” Leigh sputtered a laugh.

  “You have got to tell me once you do. Like every weird merperson detail.”

  “You can go now.” Leigh pushed him toward the door, since he’d already said his goodnights.

  “He is seriously the coolest thing,” Alvin said, “like wow.”

  “I’m glad you think so. Really. Thanks for being so good about all this.”

  “Anytime, man. You’re my brother, you know.” He tapped Leigh lightly on the chest with the back of his hand, a
s close as they usually came to hugging. “Even if you are dating a fish person.”

  “Out.” Leigh pushed him out the door, and Alvin chuckled before waving goodbye.

  Only he could have taken learning mermaids were real that well, but Leigh was grateful. Whatever the future held, he couldn’t stomach the thought of his best friend not accepting his… whatever Tolly was.

  Speaking of Tolly, Leigh was surprised he was taking so long in the bedroom. It shouldn’t take that much time to pick out something to wear to….

  Leigh’s thought process stalled as soon as he turned to see Tolly standing in the bedroom doorway wearing a fresh pair of underwear that hugged him snug and a T-shirt Leigh had been meaning to throw away because it shrunk in the wash and was currently giving a peek of toned abs. Tolly had no idea how much hotter he looked like that instead of standing in front of Leigh nude. Or maybe he did and that was the point.

  “Are you angry with me?”

  “WHAT? WHY would I be angry with you?” Leigh said, eyes snapping to Tolly’s face after raking down his form the way Tolly had hoped.

  Not that his question was fabricated; he really was concerned he might have upset Leigh and wanted to help him forget his worries so they could return to more pleasant endeavors.

  “I am making your life more complicated,” Tolly said, moving toward him, “when I promised I would not.”

  “I make my own life complicated. You are not the problem. And Alvin will survive. He thinks you’re amazing.”

  “I sensed only curiosity in him, not fear or opportunism. He loves you greatly.”

  “Yeah….” Leigh cringed and glanced down as they met in the center of the room. “He always wants to please ‘Daddy,’ but most of the time, for a long time, we’ve been all each other has.”

  “May I ask, since Alvin is interested in men, and you are as well, did you two ever…?”

  “Once,” Leigh said. “Just a kiss or two, don’t get excited. Felt weird. We’re too much like family.”

  Tolly had gathered as much but it still soothed any foolish notions of jealousy to hear that. He pressed his hands to Leigh’s chest and slid them up his shoulders. “I hope it does not feel weird when you kiss me.”

  “N-no.” Leigh shivered, almost like he might pull away, but he relaxed under Tolly’s touch. “Not… weird.”

  Stepping closer into Leigh’s body, Tolly wound his hands around his neck. He knew to go slow, to telegraph each motion as he would have wanted in return, but he did so want another kiss. He wanted more than that.

  “May we continue now?” he asked.

  Doubt splayed across Leigh’s features.

  “Please. You put something in the bedroom after you collected food for us. You picked up the supplies we need, I think.”

  Leigh chuckled bashfully. “Caught me.”

  “Then let us use them.” Tolly pulled him closer with a gentle tug at his neck and kissed him boldly. When he felt the hesitant weight of hands at his waist, it urged him to press farther forward.

  He knew the underwear he had chosen were tight. He knew the shirt was too small. He wanted to entice Leigh in a new way—in all ways.

  Bringing his hands down from Leigh’s neck, he reached for the hands at his waist and guided Leigh into the waistband of his underwear.

  “Tolly,” Leigh laughed, ceasing the motion of their hands with the smallest resistance. “You are trying really hard to seduce me.”

  “Yes.” Tolly saw no point in denying that. “Is it working?”

  Leigh laughed again, voice quivering as he closed his hands around Tolly’s, not to push him away, just to touch. “Are you sure you want this? That you want it to be me?”

  “I would ask for no replacement if I had all the choices in the world. And I have waited so long for you. I do not wish to wait anymore.”

  Perhaps it was his honesty, but finally Leigh stopped resisting, and Tolly was able to lead him by the hand into the bedroom. Tolly was in very little clothing. He wanted Leigh to catch up so he could finally see what he looked like.

  “May I undress you?” he asked.

  “Y-yeah,” Leigh said, but there was still uncertainty in his eyes that Tolly hoped was not a prelude to disappointment. He would not allow it to be.

  With gentle hands, Tolly felt the contours of muscle and contrasting softness beneath Leigh’s shirt like he had that morning. This time, however, he lifted the shirt over Leigh’s head, undid the closure of his jeans, and because they were closely fit, hooked his thumbs beneath the waistband of denim and underwear alike to slide both down in tandem.

  Slowly, he went, and as he did, he dropped to his knees. Finally, here was Leigh, naked and perfect for all his scars and bruises and dustings of hair. Tolly liked most the hair on his chest that thinned as it traveled down until it was but a line that disappeared into the hair framing his sex.

  Leigh was hard, yet as he stepped out of his clothing and Tolly’s hands returned to the outside of his thighs in worship, he shuddered.

  “Why do you tremble?” Tolly asked. “You are not afraid of me, I hope.”

  “No.” Again Leigh laughed to hide the truth he was unsure how to speak. “I… I think you’re too good for me.”

  “Nonsense,” Tolly said as he slid his hands down, then up and inward, caressing between Leigh’s legs. “What shall I do for you? This?” He grinned, already leaning forward, lips parting, eager to take Leigh in.

  A gasp left him when Tolly descended, then a whimper, then a moan as Tolly’s tongue set to work. He had never done this before but he knew to keep his teeth back. It was easy to get lost in the sensation, especially when Leigh’s fingers twisted in his hair.

  Familiar hunger stirred in Tolly, but now was not the time to let his true self slip. He had to retain control.

  “Wait.” Leigh stopped him, pulling his head back with tender insistence.

  “Am I doing it poorly?”

  “No. Definitely not.” His eyes were heavy-lidded as he gazed down. “But I should be the one doing this for you.”

  “Would you?” Tolly asked in amazement.

  He would have been perfectly content catering to Leigh, but Leigh lifted him from the floor, moved him to the bed, and laid him down. As carefully as Tolly had undressed him, now Leigh did the same in turn. Leigh had seen him many times, but he looked at Tolly with newfound wonder tonight. The excitement when he parted Tolly’s knees and knelt between them could not be quantified; Tolly whimpered long before his lips landed.

  Once they did, it was hot and wet and tight all at once. Tolly was unused to legs in many cases, but he knew he wanted to wrap them around something, any part of Leigh he could to pull him closer. For now, he settled on letting his legs fall open as Leigh gave languid twirls of his tongue. The grip of Leigh’s hand at his base, the other sliding along his thigh, enhanced the sensation tenfold.

  Tolly wanted to touch Leigh in return and ended up pulling him up for a taste of his lips again. They connected with equal appetite, their sexes sliding past each other hotter and wetter from each other’s mouths.

  Rutting up into the friction he found, Tolly kissed Leigh deeper, and their tongues trailed down each other’s jaws and necks before long. Soon Tolly’s hands were moving across Leigh’s chest and stomach and thighs—and oh, how good it felt to have him everywhere.

  “It’s all so wonderful,” Tolly gasped, feeling as though his skin was on fire yet somehow happy for it. “Please… may I have you inside me now?”

  Leigh growled an enthusiastic affirmative but still asked, “You’re sure that’s how you want this to go?”

  Inside Tolly, he meant, instead of Tolly inside him, since he had expressed he would be happy with either.

  “You can better show me what to do that way,” Tolly said, eager to learn and to please, but happier still that Leigh wanted to please him as any true partner would.

  “Okay,” Leigh said, all doubt washed from his face. “Relax. I’ll take care of you.
”

  Tolly believed that with all his heart. Still, he did not realize it could feel better than it had been until Leigh’s fingers were stretching him with help from the silky liquid he had acquired. Tolly had a good enough understanding of what a condom was and was not bothered by Leigh wanting to use one, customary for new lovers. It also did not diminish the intensity of the sweet burn of Leigh pushing inside him finally, filling him as he had wanted to be filled.

  Now, at last, Tolly had something to wrap his legs around as Leigh sank in deep between his thighs.

  Leigh spoke little in the minutes that followed, but when he did, it was always asking for assurances that Tolly felt pleasure or offering praises for how good he felt in turn. The build to an end was warm, urgent, and magnificent. Tolly wanted Leigh to go faster, and he read the desire easily, always in synch with him without use of words, changing angles and rhythm to match Tolly’s wishes until the crescendo was upon him.

  He shuddered from the barest brush of Leigh’s fingers and released with a whimper. The pleasure did not dwindle either, because the echo was in Leigh still deep inside him until he too finished with a tensing of his muscles and a tremble of relief.

  What a beautiful thing to share with someone, Tolly thought, overjoyed that he had shared it with Leigh, chasing pleasure together until they claimed it.

  “Good?” Leigh asked after wiping them clean.

  “Better than I ever imagined,” Tolly said, smiling adoringly back at him.

  “You are not good for my ego.” Leigh chuckled like he hardly knew how to react to Tolly sometimes, but he was charmed and that was what mattered.

  “I think perhaps your ego could use more strokes on occasion,” Tolly said, and giggled when Leigh laughed at the pun he had very much made intentionally. Then he gripped Leigh’s face, mesmerized by his features more than his body, though he loved that too, and kissed him, getting close enough to tangle their legs together.

  Leigh tensed at initiations of touch, but he did not shy from Tolly or push him away. He sagged against him, and Tolly took advantage to touch everywhere he was allowed.