Page 51 of In Darkness and Dank

“No.” Shu shook his head. “We go somewhere else.”

“Oh?”

“Special place.” Shu squeezed Kittisak’s hands as he guided him toward the pool where Bal and Hue had swum off to. “Kitty hold breath, yes?”

“Yup. Will hold.”

“Hold breath very strong.”

The moment Kittisak sucked in a big lungful of air, Shu dragged him into the water. Shu was incredibly fast underwater, and it took seconds to reach the bottom where there was a small cove. Within the cove was a nest of giant holes, all tunnels leading off into darkness.

Shu chose the tunnel on the far left and zipped through, leading Kittisak through an array of twists and turns. His crests lit up, allowing Kittisak to see a bit, but there wasn’t much to look at. It was a rock tunnel, smooth and sleek, and it narrowed the deeper they went.

Kittisak had to grab onto Shu’s ankles at one point because they couldn’t swim side by side, and he was struggling to hold his breath. His chest was burning, and he desperately needed oxygen. He tightened his grip on Shu’s ankle, dangerously close to inhaling water, and he nearly gargled a mouthful of it as Shu suddenly whipped him forward and up to the blessed surface of a large pool.

The tiny tunnel opened up into another cave, but Kittisak didn’t immediately appreciate the new view as he was busy trying to suck air into his lungs. His chest was aching, and there was a moment there that he’d actually been worried about drowning. Shu’s strong arms held him up, and he was very grateful for the help.

“Thanks,” he wheezed. “Whew, that was fucking close.”

“Sorry.” Shu chirped worriedly. “Kitty okay?”

“Kitty’s okay.” Kittisak panted. “But maybe next time, we…” He trailed off, finally seeing where they were.

The cave was easily three times the size of the one he’d been living in with Shu, and the rock here was an eerie lavender color with dark stripes cutting through from the black ceiling. It made the cave appear endless at a glance even with how it was lit with a luminous array of white and purple mushrooms. Everything glittered and glowed like it had been crafted with magic, and Kittisak could hardly believe what he was looking at was real.

There was a small path worn through the maze of spiky rocks that led into a round, open basin. It was polished smooth as if by the presence of water, and a large nest of leaves, blankets, and a giant roll of Bubble Wrap currently filled it.

A familiar plastic bucket was also waiting there, packed full of fruit and honey.

“Holy shit,” Kittisak breathed, staring at the beautiful scene in awe.

“In time of pozzo,” Shu said, “water runs from here. Opens for only tonight.”

“Only tonight?”

“Yes.” Shu led Kittisak up to the path. “Water will come back when sun comes up, run here, and fill hole.”

Kittisak understood now why the path and the basin were so smooth. “Is it the tides or something? Is this water connected to the ocean? Fuck, I don’t know how tides work.”

Shu shrugged. “Water will come back when sun comes up.”

“What happens if we’re still here?”

“We swim, is okay. Water doesn’t fill cave. Just hole.”

“Okay. Well. I guess that makes me feel a little better.”

Shu frowned. “Kitty no like?”

“God! No! I love it!” Kittisak quickly pulled Shu in for a kiss. “I absolutely love it. It looks beautiful. It means the world to me that you did all this for me.” He grinned. “Sorry I got a bit freaked out about being trapped in a crazy underwater cave. It’s a mano thing.”

“Because you squishy?”

“Yes. Because I’m squishy.” Kittisak hugged Shu’s shoulders and kissed him again. “But I am pretty sure I’m about to get hard.”

“I sure too.” Shu chuckled as his hands wandered over Kittisak’s hips. “Very sure.”

“So. Is there anything special we gotta do for this time of pozzo?”

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