Page 9 of Five to Love Him
We watched the oceanic and the other human exit the Dazzle first while we cleared up the table Leo and the others had occupied, picking up the empty glass he’d left behind with unintentional reverence.
Outside, the other two saw us. The oceanic was not surprised, but the human was, staring with the unabashed openness we’d gotten used to ever since working at a place that served good liquor, and a lot of it.
Then Leo exited. “Hey, what’re you guys standing around for? Keep moving.”
We crossed the railwalk before the other human could respond, but by that time, Leo had walked around his companions.
“Hello,” we said.
“Wow, they’re a choir,” said the other human.
“Dude.” Leo blinked a few times.
The oceanic cleared his throat. “Okay, I’m not sure what this is, hive, but I offered to guide these two humans to the sacred underground tonight, and it’s my responsibility to ensure they return to the above unharmed.”
We glared at them, not something we were used to doing. “We would never harm them—him. We would never harm Leo. How dare you suggest such a thing?”
“Uh…” The oceanic was taken aback and took a step to the side. It put him in front of the other human like a protective shield.
“You understand us.” We nodded at the other human. “We must talk with Leo. We will see him home safely.” We looked at Leo. “Unless you would prefer they stay? We’re not sure whether humans would rather be told as a singular or with others.”
Leo looked at us as if we were speaking in a different language. “Huh? Told what?”
The oceanic looked at him. “Ah, Leo, I think—”
“We don’t know what you will understand, but it is as if someone has found their mate. We knew when you came into the Dazzle, but we were working. And we didn’t want to interrupt your time with friends.”
Leo narrowed his eyes at us, then slowly turned his head until he was staring the oceanic dead in the eye. “Are you fucking hazing me? Not cool. I never thought St. Auguste would do that. Or is this a stranger danger type thing, like a test? Well, please let Instructor Arick know that I know not to refuse a supernatural’s mating instinct and will be considerate with their feelings while carefully establishing boundaries. And I will check in with Hawthorne and my case worker and legal liaison there.”
We were relieved to hear it. The oceanic was aghast. “No one’s hazing you. This is happening, I guess? Hives don’t normally, uh, I mean, apologies, hive, but it’s rare for you to grow so attached to a human as far as I know.”
“Not rare. Although it happens only ever once for us, so perhaps it is rare. Should we find another place to talk?” We considered whether to invite them to our home, but the lot of them would make it very cramped, and we weren’t yet certain that Leo was fine with that. We knew that claustrophobia was common among humans, such a strange affliction.
“Begging fucking pardon?” Leo said.
The other human peeked out from behind the oceanic’s back. “Leo, I think this is not a test. Ez, if this is a test or if you’re trying to pull Leo’s leg, I’m done baking for you. D-O-N-E. So fess up now.”
The oceanic shook his head while we tried to keep ourselves from fidgeting. In the Dazzle, we had to ask another customer to repeat their order while giving a nod of thanks to Coral for allowing us to step outside during our shift.
“I swear by the fucking tides, Tate. You think I’d plan this? I don’t even know this hive, and no hive would agree to play on anyone’s feelings like that.”
“Very true.” Some of the people walking past or around us to get into the Dazzle began staring. “Leo, would you like for us to take you back above ground?”
In all honesty, the prospect scared us but there was nothing to do about that. Leo was a human, and he didn’t live here. We’d need to get used to spending time among humans again, and we’d have to work on fitting in. If we understood what Leo had said correctly, he was not yet very used to us supernaturals.
“Guys, I don’t know what’s happening right now,” he said to the other two. “Is now the time where I seek shelter at the Moonlight Diner?”
We beamed. “That would be the perfect place to talk.”
five
I’d paced myself, had only had two drinks, and the way the night was shaping up, that hadn’t been enough.
To get back up to St. Auguste, we took a set of escalators, and the hivelings stood close to me, one on my step next to me, one above, two below. They looked identical, which shouldn’t have come as a surprise, but of course it was borderline uncanny. At least their clothes differed, though all of it was well worn.
“Uh, do I have something on my face?”
“No,” one of them said. “You look handsome,” said another.
