Page 23 of In Darkness and Dank

“Really?”

Shu covered Kittisak’s hand with his own. “Really.”

“How do you do that?” Kittisak asked suddenly. “You’re like a damn parrot.”

“Damn parrot?” Shu’s brow wrinkled.

“I say something and you repeat it. Like, I understand. And then you say I understand. Echo, echo. Get it?”

“Echo, echo. Huh.” Shu appeared to be thinking. “We go.”

“Go?”

“Go.” Shu pointed down into the pool where the tunnel was. “Kitty eh breathe in water.” He dramatically held his breath and puffed his cheeks out. “Huh? Kitty understand?”

“I have to hold my breath. Yes. Huh. Got it.” Kittisak had no idea what this had to do with the echo, but if it meant going outside, he was going to take it. “Let’s go!”

It was only after Shu grabbed his hand and dragged him into the water that Kittisak realized he hadn’t put his boxers back on. He didn’t have any way to tell Shu to head back, and they were zooming through the tunnel at breakneck speeds.

Holy hell, Shu was fast.

The walls of the tunnel were lit by the glow of Shu’s crests, and Kittisak could see the rocks and smooth cavern surface flying by in a blur. Shu was moving like a torpedo, and all Kittisak had to do was hang on tight as he was towed along. His lungs were burning now, and he squeezed Shu’s hand, hoping they didn’t have far to go.

The fire in Kittisak’s chest was getting worse, and he squeezed Shu’s hand tighter.

Shu squeezed back.

Just when Kittisak was afraid he was about to inhale a mouthful of water, they burst up through the surface. Kittisak gasped for air, waving his arms and frantically trying to keep himself above the water so he could catch his breath to sooth his scorching lungs. There was no way he could make that trip on his own, he realized. He would never be fast enough to swim through that tunnel before he would have to breathe, and he’d end up drowning.

That conclusion was depressing, but he didn’t have long to mull it over.

Not when they were wading in the middle of paradise.

“Holy shit,” Kittisak wheezed.

They were in the middle of a huge tropical lagoon with a tall waterfall gushing over a jagged ridge off in the distance. Kittisak could look down and see straight to the bottom, and he was delighted by the gorgeous aqua-blue color of the water. The edges of the lagoon were lined with big spiraling trees, pale sandy shores, and thick flowering plants.

It was something out of a postcard—a perfect and peaceful slice of paradise.

Shu guided Kittisak toward the shore until they were in the shallows and Kittisak could stand. He was still holding Kittisak’s hand, and he stayed close, watching Kittisak closely as he took in their new surroundings.

Kittisak was honestly in awe. He’d never seen anything like this before except in movies, and he’d definitely never seen anything even close while trekking through the rainforest for the last few weeks. There didn’t seem to be any mosquitoes or other pesky gross bugs, the air was surprisingly temperate, and a cool breeze kept wafting through, carrying the sweet perfume of the flowers with it. The early morning sun cast a warm golden glow over it all, and he wouldn’t have been surprised to see a unicorn trotting by.

“This is beautiful,” Kittisak gushed. “This is where you live?” He laughed suddenly. “You’ve had this out here all of this time and you were keeping me locked up in that cave?”

“Worry.” Shu snorted, nodding down at Kittisak’s scars. “I worry for Kitty.”

“Well, thank you, but I’m feeling much better now. And this, wow, this… this place is incredible.” Kittisak wanted to go explore, maybe check out that waterfall, but he quickly remembered that his boxers were back in the cave.

He wasn’t sure if it mattered since Shu was always naked and they had just shared a pretty intimate time earlier, but he still hesitated to walk out on the beach with his balls swinging.

Instead, he waded through the water he could still stand in, gazing up at the curling trees offering shade above them. He hadn’t let go of Shu’s hand either, and he was happy to hold it as he swam around the shallows.

“Okay, this is definitely the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” Kittisak said, “but I was asking you about the echo echo thing.” He raised a curious brow. “Why’d we come out here?”

“Huh.” Shu smiled and looked up to the trees. He chirped.

Not one of his usual chirps, but the chirp of an actual bird.

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