Page 75 of In Darkness and Dank

“I’m kidding.” Kittisak chuckled. “You know, mostly. I really have no idea.”

Shu hugged Kittisak close, nuzzling his cheek insistently.

“Hey.” Kittisak stroked the crests on top of Shu’s head. “Don’t be nervous. It’s gonna be great. They’re gonna love you, they’re already super happy for us, and hey, they haven’t even asked me about grandkids yet. I think we’re doing okay.”

“Grandkids?” Shu cocked his head. “Oh! Kitty… Kitty want littles?”

“Well, one day. Maybe, sure.” Kittisak’s heart fluttered. “I’d like that… but you know, uh, far into the future. So very far. Very, very far.”

“Very far,” Shu agreed, but he was smiling.

Kittisak wasn’t about to explore what options might be available to them to have children of their own, but the idea did make him smile too. He didn’t care if they adopted or if he had to go find an egg in the middle of the damn big water. He wanted a future with Shu, to be here with him always, and he’d never been so happy before in his entire life.

“What Kitty want now?” Shu asked.

“Right now?” Kittisak grinned. “Like, now now?”

“Yes.”

“I want to… let’s see. I want to have lunch with you, maybe think about some ideas for the cookbook I might be working on, and… hmm. I gotta check the schedule to make sure Zimm remembers to keep Dr. Gill away from the lagoon today since Bal wants to take Hue swimming.”

“And after that?”

“After that, I will work on more cookbook ideas, try to identify those plants we used for that salad yesterday because those were amazingly delish, and then…” Kittisak smiled, getting lost in the purple swirls of Shu’s eyes. “Then we watch The Little Mermaid, we snuggle, we fall asleep, and we do it all again tomorrow and the day after that, and we live happily ever after.”

“Happily ever after?” Shu repeated. “What’s that?”

“Yeah.” Kitty smiled. “It’s when you’re happy with someone, and you get to be with that person forever.”

“Forever?”

“And always.”

“Hmm…” Shu looked thoughtful.

“What is it?”

“Not enough.”

“What do you mean, not enough?” Kittisak laughed.

“Forever and always. It is not enough. Want more with Kitty. Much more.” Shu held him closer. “I keep Kitty until forever and always, and then we go to moon.”

Kittisak smiled. “To the moon?”

“Yes, Kitty. We go to moon.”

“Okay.” Kittisak kissed Shu’s cheek. “Wherever you go, I’ll be there.”

“Yes?” Shu beamed. “You come?”

“You’re my almae,” Kittisak replied. “Soulmates, yeah? We’ll go to the moon or the stars or whatever you want. As long as that’s where you’ll be, well, then that’s where I’ll be too.”

Shu purred.

“I’m yours.” Kittisak kissed him. “Just like you’re mine, my beautiful creature. I’m yours, and you’re mine. Forever.”

Shu cleared his throat expectantly.

“And yes. After that, to the moon.”

“To the moon.”

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