Page 33 of In Darkness and Dank

“Mida?” Shu cut in.

“What?”

“Hungry?” Shu looked at the pool. It didn’t seem like he wanted to talk.

“Yeah, okay.” Kittisak smiled wearily. “I could eat.”

“I go.”

Kittisak watched Shu dive into the pool, and he sighed. Maybe it was better that they didn’t talk about it. As much as Kittisak didn’t want to hurt Shu’s feelings, it might be best to just leave it alone.

He headed back to the nest, fluffing up the mess of Bubble Wrap and leaves before lying down. His bones were tired, and a nice snack and a long nap sounded like the perfect way to spend the rest of the afternoon—and to avoid facing his conflicting feelings about Shu.

Shu returned with the bucket full of fresh things to eat, though Kittisak politely declined the raw fish he’d brought in favor of more pacay fruit. The air was a bit tense, and they didn’t talk very much. Kittisak was going nuts from the awkward silence, and he wandered back over to explore Shu’s treasures.

Shu stayed in the nest, but he watched him curiously.

Kittisak picked up the boombox, and he popped open the battery compartment. He was surprised to see fresh and clean batteries inside. “Hey. Does this work?”

“No work,” Shu replied with a shrug.

Kittisak checked the cassette deck. There was a cassette inside, and he grinned when he read what it was. “Holy shit. I used to have this exact same cassette when I was a kid. Oh, come on. It’s gotta work.”

“Prrrp?”

“Hang on a sec.” Kittisak fidgeted with the batteries before he realized they were in backward. He quickly turned them around, and he laughed when he saw the red blip of the power light come on. “Hell yes.”

“Work?” Shu perked up.

“Yup!” Kittisak pressed play, cranked the volume, and set the stereo back on the shelf. As the music started to play, he hurried over to grab Shu’s hands. “Come on! Dance with me!”

“Dance?” Shu was confused, but he let Kittisak pull him up to his feet.

“Yes! Dance!” Kittisak rocked his hips, and he squeezed Shu’s hands.

The cassette was ABBA’s Gold: Greatest Hits, and the first song was “Dancing Queen.” The infectious poppy beat echoed throughout the cave through the static of the old speakers, and Kittisak sang along, belting out the lyrics with his entire soul. It was so surreal to be singing this song, one he’d loved since boyhood, here in this cave with a fantastic monster.

A monster with two left feet at that.

Shu struggled to follow along with what Kittisak was doing, and he growled in frustration more than once as he tried to mimic Kittisak’s movements. He grunted, standing still with a sour pout and shaking his head. “No dance.”

“Here, just follow my lead.” Kittisak guided Shu’s arms around his waist and then draped his arms around Shu’s neck like they were dancing in middle school. He swayed his hips back and forth to the beat, beaming up at him as Shu slowly rocked with him. “There you go! Shu, you’re dancing!”

“Dancing!” Shu laughed. “Yes, I dance now.”

They swayed together through “Knowing Me, Knowing You” all the way to “Mamma Mia.” When the tape hit “Lay All Your Love On Me,” the music slowed and then finally cut off as the batteries gave out. Even so, Kittisak kept on singing the words softly, and he dared to press closer, squeezing Shu’s neck a little tighter.

Shu hugged Kittisak’s waist, humming along with him once he got the tune. He could whistle and imitate the synth sounds perfectly to give Kittisak something to sing along with. Kittisak’s pulse was thudding up in his ears, and he caught himself gazing at Shu’s lips. He was super aware of Shu’s hand shifting down to hold the small of his back.

The connection was sweet, the intimacy running hot, and Kittisak’s face was burning up. He had no idea when the last time was that he’d danced with someone, and Shu was looking at him like he was something magical, his eyes sparkling as he whistled the final notes of the chorus.

Kittisak almost forgot the words, and he didn’t know what to do now.

The stereo was dead, the song was over, and they were still dancing, their bodies rocking to nothing.

“Shu, I…” Kittisak swallowed, his fingers tentatively sliding over the crests of Shu’s broad neck. He knew if Shu asked him for a kiss that he wouldn’t be able to refuse. He wanted Shu to ask him, and he stood on his tiptoes, tilting his head in just so, hoping to prompt him.

Shu rubbed Kittisak’s back, not moving away but not advancing, and then he pressed a soft kiss to Kittisak’s forehead. “Kitty rest now.”

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