“I’m sure there are other exhibits you’d like to see,” Rami offered, and glanced toward the exit.
Julian shrugged. He wasn’tnotenjoying himself, watching the otters play and slide around. Listening to the angel ramble.
“Lead the way, Feathers.”
And sure enough, Julian followed.
Rami
Rami made haste as they left the otter exhibit. How long had they been droning on aboutotters?
And why hadn’t Julian stopped them?
Maybe, Rami mused, just maybe, Julian enjoyed the otters as much as they did.
Wasn’t that a thought?
“You’re going to love this room,” they said, and led Julian beneath an archway into a round, cylinder-shaped space.
“Why do you say—hol—fucking hell,” he corrected himself, eyes going wide. How polite of him to do so.
The room was dark, and the only things casting light upon them were—
“Jellyfish,” Julian whispered.
“Yes!” Rami said, and glanced at Julian, anticipating his reaction.
His wide eyes were quite sparkly considering the darker room around them. The jellyfish glowed, and Rami found their gaze caught on the demon. The soft blue light dabbled across his face like strokes of a brush and, well…
I thought we were at an aquarium, not an art exhibit.
Cheeks flushing hot at the thought, Rami turned their attention to the sea creatures instead.
Jellyfish fluttered through the water around them, bodies expanding and collapsing as they moved.
“Some of them are so large,” Julian murmured, spinning in a circle. Rami stepped out of his way with a smile.
“Certainly.”
“And they’re just… glowing!”
They aren’t the only ones,Rami thought as Julian turned his gaze on them.
His eyes, usually a honey gold, were darker in the lighting and yet no less captivating, sharp jaw lit by the light of the floating jellyfish.
“They do that, yes,” Rami said, clearing their throat.
“I guess I see the appeal now,” Julian admitted, and Rami thought it might not have been voluntarily, if he hadn’t been so distracted by the jellyfish.
“Good,” Rami said quietly.
Rami was practically vibrating with excitement for their last stop at the aquarium. They’d looped around to the beginning and Ramihad taken their time, letting Julian ooh and aah and point at all the different creatures.
Currently, all around them, children were sticking their hands into the water at their parents' encouragement, and yet Rami didn’t hesitate to lightly dip their fingers in..
“See? Softly. Just a little pet,” they said, brushing the tips of their fingers over a small stingray.
“It doesn’t hurt them, does it?” Julian asked.