Page 133 of Midnightsong
“I was asking more toward adoption.”
“My point still stands,” Angie said. “Are you okay with that?”
His Angie. Always forthright, and he loved that about her. “Yes, very much so. I’m indifferent about having my own children and agree with your sentiments.” He kissed her forehead. “I love the idea of the two of us against the world, like it’s been from the start.”
“Can’t believe it’s been more than two years since we met. It feels like so long ago, but at the same time, no time has passed.” A forlorn shadow crossed her beautiful face.
Kaden chuckled. “It’s been a lot. Sometimes I think it’s a wonder you’re still here with me.”
“What’s with the sappiness? We’re here together now, aren’t we?”
That was true. But he might be so sentimental because he was leading up to a question that would change both their lives. Above their heads, a large northern sea nettle haizhe drifted by, and Angie moved her arm away from the vicinity of their tentacles.
This was his chance, and he grabbed her hand, following the boneless, tentacled creatures.
“Where are we going? Are you okay?” A note of concern spiked her tone.
“I’m okay.” A bloom of bioluminescent crystal haizhe gathered overhead, brightening the blackness with cyan lights. Before him there was a makeshift gazebo carved of stone, seated at the base of a seamount. “You know, when I nearly died protecting you and my mother, two tidesyears ago, you could have moved on without me. You didn’t know if I was going to live, back then.”
She gave him an earnest smile.
“Will you choose me every day?” His heart was beating faster and faster, and he opened and closed his mouth, taking in more water to keep thoughts straight. It didn’t work, and his head spun with the lack of oxygen. “I’ve told you before that I never want to be apart from you. My heart and my soul have been yours since I fell in love with you. And I will never have them back.” This was much too difficult, and whatever way Angie was staring at him, whether it was curiosity or like he had two heads, he wouldn’t know. “You’re my partner, my life, my world.”
“That’s sweet, and I feel the same. But seriously, if you’re not feeling well, we can head back. I know things have been stressful.” He understood what she was saying, though in his spinning mind, her words sounded garbled. “Did you eat a bad piece of red algae, or something?”
No, no, no, he couldn’t pass out here. “Angie Song, will you do me the highest honor and be my lifemate? Erm, I suppose in human terms, will you marry me? So, I can call you my wife for as long as I live?”
For a drawn-out moment, she didn’t respond.
If Kaden were on the surface, he was sure he would be sweating profusely by now. Instead, a clammy, unbearable warmth flooded him.
Finally, her lips found his, and when she pulled back, the sweet affirmation carried on her exhale. Kaden’s world brightened, and his heartbeat slowed to a normal cadence. He hugged her again, pressing his lips to the top of her head.
She dropped a kiss over his gills when they were closed, and the sensitive area tingled from the touch of her lips, sending a shiver down his shoulder and arm.
“Kiss me there again?” His voice dropped to a tremulous whisper. She did again and again, bringing pleasurable shudders through his torso and down his tail. He’d have to ask her to kiss him there more often.
“I didn’t know that would feel good to you. I mean, after the last time I accidentally jabbed my finger in there.” A light laugh from her.
“I didn’t know, either.” He clutched her hand. “We can continue this later. But for now, dance with me?”
“I’m not much of a dancer. But I’m willing to give it a chance.”
He put one hand over his heart and bowed his head to her and held out his hands. She took them. Holding on tight, he pulled her to him and spun around as she floated with her legs behind her, and he let her go.
Angie seemingly caught on as she pumped her legs and arms to move backward, scattering a school of pacific xueyu passing through. Kaden swam to her with one strong flick of his tail, catching her in his arms. His tail and upper body moved in perfect harmony to twirl and whirl her, inverting and righting, before lifting her by her waist. “I’m going to lift you. All I need you to do is arch your back, and the currents will do the rest.”
She bit down on her lower lip, giving him a cheeky grin. “I’ll try.”
Kaden tilted his head and calculated the distance between him and Angie, and the drifting haizhe. “That’s all I ask.” He grabbed her feet, pushing her above him, careful not to send her into the haizhe tentacles.
The intent was to guide her into a somersault, but she ended up in a part backflip, part twist position, and they were both laughing when he reached her again.
On her own, she kicked herself into a horizontal position, log rolling into a perfect three-hundred-sixty-degree turn, and she floated on her back, swaying with the currents with her arms held out beside her.
He curled the tip of his tail around one of her ankles, lifting her leg to wrap around him before releasing her, and he used the water’s resistance to his advantage, inching back. Angie’s upper body extended backward, and he cradled the back of her head, effectively dipping her, and he leaned in for a kiss. “We can do this again at our wedding.”
“That was surprisingly fun. And a little dangerous.” She motioned to the idling haizhe above, their tentacles dangling above her head.
