Page 31 of Little Saint Nautilus

Trying not to move Cory’s leg as it was in a position which gave him the greatest comfort, I turned away from him. My cirri extended from their sheaths so they could reach further, as I brought my knees up to my chest. I circled my arms around them, hugging them to me. In my nautilus form, I would fold in half, with my backside going into the shell and my head and cirri meeting at its entrance. It was harder to get so compact in my human form, or even hybrid form as I was now; my joints didn’t bend the right way. Knees to my chest was as close as I could get.

Making myself small, trying to imagine being inside of my shell, it didn’t bring as much comfort as I hoped it would. Tears burned my eyes, and I began to shake. I cried in silence while tremors wracked my body.

I didn’t know how long I’d been in that state. It could have been minutes, it could have been a millennium. The night was long, far too long, in a world that was too motionless and too vast.

“Nemo? Sweetheart, I’m here. I’m right here.”

Cory’s voice broke through the too-much-ness of everything, but it was faint, and I was worn. Emotionally, physically, I didn’t have any strength.

My cirri were showing me Cory had moved through their vibrations as he shifted beside me. They released from him and returned to me, nestling beneath my head to comfort me. It didn’t help.

A warm hand landed on my back, rubbing soft circles. “Nemo? What’s going on? Are you all right?”

I couldn’t answer. I simply squeezed my arms tighter around my legs.

“What can I do, little one? What do you need?”

The fear in Cory’s voice reached through the bigness of it all. I didn’t want him to be afraid, but I was feeling so…lost. I forced myself to concentrate and pushed out the two words that nearly broke me. “My shell.”

I felt Cory scoot closer to me. “I know. I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I wish I could make thathappen for you, but even if I could it, won’t be tonight. What do you need right now? Just for this moment?”

Concentrating on the heat radiating from his body, I tried to calm myself enough to speak. “Too big.”

“What’s too big, Nemo?”

“Everything. Land, the city, the room. Me.”

Cory kept rubbing my back, and it felt nice, like a rope I was holding tight to as I was spun around in the whirlpool. “You? What do you mean?”

“My shell. Feeling confined within its walls is comforting to me. Safe. I can’t shift into my nautilus form, and I feel too big right now.”

He kissed the back of my neck. “I’m going to try something. Do you trust me?”

“Yes, Cory. Very much.”

“Okay. Can you let go of your legs?”

I whimpered at the thought of unfurling. Doing so would make me bigger, not smaller, but I trusted Cory. It was the one thing I knew to be true at that moment. I drew a deep breath and released the tight grip I had on my legs.

“Good. I’m going to move you a little and after, if it doesn’t help, I’ll let you return to your little ball.”

I sniffed and nodded, bracing myself for whatever was coming. Cory reached under my legs and stretched them out. They were still bent at the knee, but my body was in more of a Z-shape than an oval. My legs wanted to comeback to my chest so I could tuck myself into them, but I forced them to stay where he put them.

Cory scooted behind me until his chest was at my back. He formed his body against mine, so they followed the same shape. His knee was pushed into the bend of mine. His hips were so tight against me that I could feel his dick nuzzle my ass. It didn’t stimulate me this time, but I liked the way there was no space between us. Cory slipped an arm under my neck and folded it across my chest while his other one came over my side and clutched around my belly, pulling me even tighter to him. My head was under his chin, my feet rested on his.

He surrounded me in every way he could. His warmth filled me from behind, radiating through me. It was as if Cory had become…a shell. Overwhelmed by it all, I choked on the sob that came out of me.

“How do you feel now, Nemo?”

It was as if a hole had been carved out of Cory and I fit perfectly inside of it. He covered me from head to toe and I felt… “Smaller.”

“Good. Just concentrate on me, on our bodies together. You are not alone. You are not in danger. I’m here.”

“Safe,” I whispered softly, and Cory tightened his hold around me, squeezing me almost too tight. It was perfect.

“That’s right, little one. You are safe.”

I did as he said, concentrating on his body formed around mine. On every inch of skin where we connected.My tremors began subsiding, and I felt as if I was gaining some traction, enough that the whirlpool wouldn’t drag me under.

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