“And that’s not even getting into the damage those talons could do, to a person and property. No, I think I’ll stick with a dog or cat.”
“I’m sure your future neighbors will appreciate that.” Cole looked off to his left. “Those must be the Hagemann Gorges. I hear they have some spectacular diving holes. No sharks, either.”
“No. Just the odd electric eel.”
Cole winced. Sharks were almost always harmless and didn’t bother him. Electric eels, on the other hand, inspired a less-than-rational fear. In retrospect, reading how an electric eel could stop a man’s heart one night when he was seven hadn’t been his greatest idea.
“The truth comes out,” said Aiden, his tone gently teasing. “You’re only Mr. Fearless about sharks.”
Cole attempted to salvage his pride. “More like I’m only not Mr. Fearless about electric eels.”
This failed to convince Aiden. “Sure. Nothing else scares you.”
Fortunately, Cole appreciated a man who stood up for himself and was a touch on the sassy side. “What else is there in life to be afraid of, besides electric eels?”
“Deep water sharks, for one. Falling from great heights. Death. Dismemberment.”
“Well isn’t this cheerful.”
Aiden shrugged with a glint of mirth in his eyes. Damn, he was cute. “You asked.”
“Remind me not to do that again.”
They were headed toward Lemke Wildlife Reserve, according to the onscreen map. It was beautiful. A herd of bison grazed next to where the river meandered around a bend, across from where giant turtles sunned themselves and not far from a stately grove of prismatic vielefarbe trees.
Nevertheless, Cole was more interested in Aiden than the scenery. He gathered that Aiden felt the same way, if the frequent glances and smiles were anything to go by. The chemistry between them was almost palpable, so it wasn’t much of a risk to take Aiden’s hand when they stood for a better view.
“You do realize physical contact makes you an open book, empathically speaking.”
Actually, Cole hadn’t. He kept his grip anyway because he liked Aiden a lot and wanted to see if they were as good together as he thought they might be. Sure, it was still a little disarming to know how little privacy he had around Aiden, and he wasn’t ready to make any commitments, but there wasn’t anything malicious about Aiden’s empathy. It was simply part of him.
He gave the younger man’s hand a squeeze. “Me being an open book hasn’t scared you off, huh?”
“No.” Aiden gave him another smile and squeezed right back. “I’m sorry to be the one to inform you that you really aren’t a frightening guy, Cole.”
“You’re crushing my self-image.”
They chuckled together and went back to admiring the scenery, hands still entwined.
****
Alas, all good things came to an end, including the date. Cole started to slow his pace when they walked from the transit station to Aiden’s building, until he realized it was cruel to prolong the date at the expense of Aiden staying out longer and getting hit with emotions from dozens of people.
“I don’t know why you feel guilty, but I hope it’s not on my account,” said Aiden.
Cole just looked at him, unsure how to respond.
“I’m not trying to pry. Negative emotions aren’t especially pleasant for me, so if I can make you less guilty, we’ll both feel better.”
“Oh,” said Cole, who promptly berated himself for not having a better answer. He tried again, deciding that brutal honesty was likely the best approach. “I was slowing down to make this last longer, until I realized that’s not being fair to you.”
Aiden smiled. “That’s sweet, Cole. No need for guilt. I’m glad we’ve both enjoyed ourselves. I’m busy for the rest of this weekend, sadly. I have a paper to write. If the weather cooperates, would you like to go snorkeling next weekend?”
“Absolutely.” It was pretty much a dream date as far as Cole was concerned. He loved being in the water, and he definitely wanted to see Aiden again, empathy and all.
“I was nervous about renting a boat just for the two of us, so my uncle offered to let me take a security drone. He works for O’Leary Drones, and someone owed him a small favor.”
“Nervous about your safety?”
“Yes,” said Aiden. “Unbonded empaths have to worry about these things. There are empathy detectors that people can use to hone in on us.”
“That’s awful.”
“Believe me, I know. It’s illegal, of course, but that doesn’t always mean much.”
“A security drone sounds good, then.” As they approached Aiden’s building Cole asked, “Bonded empaths are safer?”
“Much.”
“Good.” He didn’t like the idea of Aiden in danger. “I’m looking forward to next weekend.”
“That makes two of us. I’ll call when I’ve made the reservation if that’s fine with you.”
“Absolutely.”
Aiden pressed his palm for the elevator to his floor. “In the meantime, I’ve got to finish this paper. My last paper as an undergrad.”
“You’re graduating soon?”
“In two weeks, yes.”
Cole wondered if he should plan on attending. Was it too soon? Nobody really enjoyed graduations, after all, and he’d only known Aiden for a week. The fact that he even wondered spoke volumes about how invested in Aiden he already was.
Aiden startled him out of this contemplation with a brief kiss on the lips. Barely a peck, really, and yet it was still enough to send sparks through his body.
“Thanks for today.”
“My pleasure. Talk to you soon.”
However reluctant he was for the date to end, it was time to head home when Aiden’s front door shut behind him. Cole made his way to the elevator, not entirely surprised when Patrick slipped in at the last second.
“Hello, Cole.”
“Good afternoon.”
“You can’t imagine what it’s like to know your child’s whole future depends on someone else,” he said. “We would help Aiden leave a bad anchor, of course, but his ability to function in society would be limited.”
Cole decided to say what he suspected Patrick was thinking. “Unless this bad anchor had an unfortunate, fatal accident.”
The older man met his gaze without flinching. “Yes.”
It wasn’t a threat, really. More an unspoken statement of fact. Cole respected this. “Since he can tell if someone would be an exploitative anchor now, we must be talking about a scenario where power corrupts.”
“Any scenario,” said Patrick.
“You’re right, I can’t imagine being in your position right now. All I can tell you is that I’m interested in Aiden despite his empathy, not because of it.”
“Despite?”
“It’s a big responsibility to be someone’s anchor, if you’re going to do it well. It’s daunting, to be honest.”
The answer seemed to please Patrick. “Yes, it is. It’s also a privilege. We want to see Aiden with someone who deserves his devotion.”
“Of course.”
“I’m asking you, please, to not waste his time if you can’t honestly see yourself willing to make the commitment. Perhaps that’s unfair, but this is the hand he’s been dealt with his empathy developing late and quickly.”
“I’m still thinking about it,” said Cole. “I never planned on this, remember? What I can tell you is that I’m seriously considering it.” To his own great astonishment, no less.
Patrick pursed his lips. “That will do. For now.”
Cole had no idea how to respond to that statement. Fortunately, he didn’t need to, because Patrick changed the subject. “I suppose you have a train to catch. Will I be seeing you soon?”
“Next week.”
Patrick nodded as the elevator doors opened. “Good. Have a pleasant evening, Cole.”
“You too.”
On the walk to the transit station Col
e replayed the conversation in his head and concluded that Patrick liked him well enough, since he considered meeting again a good thing. He was just protective and probably felt pretty helpless other than to make sure his son’s prospective anchors weren’t complete bastards. Fair enough. Cole couldn’t blame him, even if it wasn’t much fun to be on the receiving end.
Anyway, if he cared what Patrick thought of him, it just went to show that he really was seriously considering being Aiden’s anchor, and somehow that thought didn’t seem as crazy as it once had.
Chapter Five
The problem with a snorkeling date, Cole realized, lay in the detail that he found Aiden very distracting when shirtless. It was fortunate they had spray sunscreen because it saved him the sweet torture of rubbing lotion onto Aiden’s back without going any further. He really wished they could get more physical, to the point that, while he wasn’t proud to admit it, he’d been a bit jealous of two seals in the middle of mating, and that was just pathetic.
With conscious effort he returned his focus to the date. Aiden had rented a small private boat with navigation fully automated, so it was just them and the security drone. They’d wasted no time in turning the drone’s conversation mode off, leaving it a silent sentinel.
After a morning shower, the weather had cleared up nicely and the water looked good. The location Aiden chose was a shallow reef surrounding two small islands, a new place to Cole. A handful of other small boats were anchored around them, nowhere near enough to be crowded but sufficient that they weren’t out alone. Considering the safety issue for Aiden, Cole was glad there were other people around.
“Looks great,” he said, peering over the side of the boat. “Hey, a purple ray.”
The purple ray had a body the size of Cole’s head and a trio of tails flowing behind as it meandered past. “I’ve never seen such a young one,” said Aiden. “Its color is much deeper than adults’. Happy birthday to me.”
“What? It’s your birthday?”
“I’m twenty-one today,” said Aiden with a nod.
“You should’ve told me.” If he’d known, he’d have brought a gift. Damned if he knew what, but he’d have found something. Maybe a Raptors jersey.
“I didn’t want you to feel like I was pressuring you. Goodness knows it’s enough pressure already, asking you to seriously consider making a lifetime commitment.”
“I still wish I knew.” Well, too late now. Maybe he’d get that Raptors jersey for a graduation gift.
Aiden just slipped into the water. “Never mind that. Let’s go, there’s something I want to show you.”
The drone was programmed to follow Aiden and immediately did so a second before Cole joined them. The water was on the cooler side but not bad, certainly not cold enough to require a wetsuit. Cole preferred to feel the water on his skin whenever possible.
He swam behind Aiden. As always, getting in the water made him happy and relaxed, as though his cares were washed away, or maybe left in the dry world above. He took in the reef, which was a good choice on Aiden’s part. The water was a clear aqua with great visibility to the sandy ocean floor some three meters below, where he spotted a couple of speckled sand crabs meandering between the bases of coral and a giant clam.
Aiden swam in the direction of the nearer island for a few dozen meters until they reached something the likes of which Cole hadn’t seen before. Ahead of them lay a patch of coral spread out to the left and right, with multiple tunnels running through it. He swam a bit closer and noticed a large snail, at least half a meter wide, moving through a tunnel.
He popped his head above water and removed the snorkel from his mouth while Aiden did the same. “This is amazing,” he said.
“Isn’t it fascinating? You’d never be able to tell when you’re swimming directly over it that there’s a whole snail highway system under there. It’s the largest colony of Bendorf’s snails on the planet. Just don’t ask me who Bendorf was.”
“Someone who liked snails, I’m guessing. I didn’t know they made tunnels through corals, and I have to say, the aesthetic is very pleasing.”
“It appeals to your architectural sensibilities?”
“Definitely. Can we take a closer look?”
“Of course,” said Aiden.
It was a remarkable sight, so beautiful Cole had to make a few free dives for a closer look. He wished he had his diving gear to stay down longer, and apparently that came through because the next time they popped up to the surface, Aiden asked, “What’s with the regret?”
It still startled Cole to be called out on his emotions so easily. “Just thinking it would be amazing to get a closer look with my diving gear. It’s not a big deal, though.”
“Oh.”
“Hey. It was stupid of me to dwell on the thought. I’m having a great time, and I’d rather be snorkeling with you than diving alone.” He meant every word, and resolved to watch his thoughts more closely in the future.
There he went, thinking about a future with Aiden again.
Aiden’s smile returned. “I’m glad. Sometimes I wish empathy didn’t work the way it does, because I get frustrated when I can sense emotion but not the reasoning behind it. Regardless, please don’t feel sorry for your own thoughts.”
“They impact you, though.”
It was impossible to tell Aiden’s expression behind his goggles, but Cole had a feeling he appreciated the comment.
****
They shared a picnic on the boat, and after the light lunch they sat with their feet dangling off the side of the boat, eating frozen lechi torts.
“I’ve never tried lechi torts frozen.”
“Really?” asked Aiden. “It’s my favorite way to eat them.”
“It’s good, especially on a warm day like this.”
“I’ll eat one in any weather.”
While Cole would never turn down a lechi tort, he’d save freezing them for warm weather. It wasn’t a dessert that required to be improved upon.
He hadn’t yet come to a conclusion about attending Aiden’s graduation, and figured this was as good a time as any to find out if Aiden expected or wanted him to be there. He started the conversation by saying, “You graduate next week, right?”
“Yes. We’re having a small party the day after the ceremony, because I’m sure I’ll be tired after the ceremony.”
Right. A big crowd at an emotional event like graduation was bound to exhaust Aiden’s empathy. All these things Cole had never thought twice about had a big impact on the life of an empath.
“You’re welcome to come to the party. I won’t be offended if you’d rather not, though.”
A party was far more appealing to Cole than a graduation ceremony, because really, everyone knew graduations were deathly boring. Somehow, despite a long list of accomplishments, humanity had yet to devise graduation ceremonies capable of holding anyone’s interest.
He would undoubtedly meet more of Aiden’s family and friends at the party. In normal circumstances he’d say it was too early for that, but as far as Cole was concerned their situation wasn’t normal dating by any stretch of reasoning.
“I’d love to be there. What time should I show up? Do you want me to bring anything?”
Aiden smiled, suggesting he really wanted Cole to be there and wasn’t just inviting him out of obligation. “Just bring yourself around noon my time.”
He had no intention of arriving empty-handed. A graduation gift of some kind was definitely in order, though Cole would have to put some thought into the matter of what that gift should be. Gift selection wasn’t his forte.
“I’ll be there,” he said.
“Thanks, Cole.”
“My pleasure.”
Aiden looked so damn good, sitting there with the breeze ruffling his hair, smiling in the sun, shirtless. Cole couldn’t help but ask, “There’s no empathy-related reason we can’t kiss, right?”
“No. I already kissed you, remember?”
Cole had a slig
htly longer kiss in mind, as opposed to the brief peck they’d shared before. “Just checking,” he said, before leaning in.
Aiden’s lips were warm with a lingering taste of sweet lechi tort. He was obviously into the kiss as well, since he made a little noise of contentment and brought his hand up to rest on Cole’s shoulder, all the while returning the kiss. Cole took that as a sign that his hand on the other man’s knee would be welcome, and he deepened the contact.
Aiden was magnetic. Everything, from the way his hand gripped Cole’s shoulder to the barest flick of his tongue, made Cole want him even more. Kissing generally affected Cole’s cock, but this one hit his entire body with a tsunami of desire. He pulled back sooner than he’d have preferred because holy shit, he had to find some self-control before he started ripping off Aiden’s shorts.
It was a good sign that Aiden looked just as dazed as Cole felt. The younger man licked his lips and said, “Wow.”
“Yeah.”
It had been the hottest kiss he could recall, not that his brain cells were working optimally at the moment. Cole was glad he had worn looser swim trunks, and they were dry now, or the evidence of how much he enjoyed the kiss would’ve been a little too obvious. Then again, if physical contact made him an open book as far as emotions, he probably hadn’t left much to Aiden’s imagination anyway.
“Cole?”
“Hmm?”
“Maybe we should, you know, get back in the water.”
“Okay.” A distraction could be in order if Aiden was feeling lust from both of them, and in any event, the water felt great and the reef was gorgeous. “Want to race?”
“Feeling confident?” asked Aiden.
“Feeling like winning is less important than the fun of it. First one to touch the yellow buoy wins.”
“A rematch on the return seems only natural.”
“You think you’ll need a rematch?”
“No. I think you’ll need it.” Aiden winked. “On three?”
“On three.”
“One, two—three!”
They hit the water at the same time. Both used a breaststroke, though Cole had almost gone with butterfly to show off, as he’d been told his butterfly stroke was impressive to watch. At the last second, he decided he’d be better served with the speed of a breaststroke.
His to Hold Page 4
