I couldn’t tell if Royce was navigating faster than last time, or if he was eager. I had been serious about earning things from him. Mostly his respect, and his affection. It hurt to find out that he’d been alone all this time. I had been alone, but it was because I was looking for him. 

When I looked at Royce though, it was all worth it. I’d give up swimming forever to be with him, if he’d ask me to. 

Royce stopped the vehicle once we returned to the area near the dock. We got out and took everything from the storage compartment. I managed to hang on to my clothes while Royce carried the food. When we got to the boat, my body recognized the gentle sway from the gangway and adjusted to it. Once on deck, I noticed Pete sat in a deck chair with a drink in his hand.

“Hi, Troller. How was the trip into town?” Before I could answer the question, Royce came on board, switched all the bags to one hand and fished the ring of devices out of his pocket and tossed them to Pete. 

“Here’s the keys, pizza is on the way, don’t come below deck for a while. Understood?”

“Aye, Aye Captain.” Pete was grinning at Royce, then at me. 

I went to Royce’s room. Once there, I realized Royce hadn’t followed me. I turned to go to the galley and help him with the food when he appeared in the doorway.  

“Were you leaving?”

“No, I was looking for you.”

“Oh, good. So was I.” Royce gently pushed me back through the doorway and closed the door. I took a step back as Royce stepped up to me, wrapped his arms around me so that his hands wrapped under my thighs. He lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his waist right before he kissed me. 

It was everything I wanted since we’d kissed earlier. His tongue darted into my mouth as we tasted each other. I didn’t fear hurting him with blunted teeth and kissed him with the same fervor. My braid swung at my back as he carried us to his bed. 

We stopped kissing for a moment to remove our shirts. He had so many large muscles, I became enamored with them. My fingers traced the curves and dips as his lips traced my chin and neck. When I reached for his belt and the opening to his pants. He didn’t stop me. 

Royce pulled back a little to help me take his long pants and his tiny pants off of him. When he stepped out of them, I was able to admire with my eyes everything I had felt pressed against me the other night. I tried to reach for his sex and he stopped me.

“Wait,” Royce breathed out. “Let me help you.”

I’d completely forgotten my own pants. Royce unbuttoned them with tender, torturous, slowness. The look on his face told me he was intent on the moment. I bit my lip and kept my hands from helping him. When he lowered the pants past my hips, my own hard flesh sprung up, eager for his attention. 

When his hand wrapped around the base of me, a sigh escaped my throat as my hands landed on Royce’s wide shoulders then drifted to his hair. I closed my eyes enjoying the sensation until it was amped ten fold by Royce’s mouth as it closed around the tip, and then engulfed me further to press into the back of his throat. 

“Oh, Royce,” I said in a whisper, barely able to think. This was new to me. Or well, to this skin. This activity had never felt this warm, or stimulating before. 

He took his mouth away, and continued the previous motion with his hand. “Is this alright?”

“Yes. It’s alright,” I whined softly. “Can you, please… more Royce.” I had barely said his name when he replaced his hand with his mouth. I had no idea what to do with myself other than hold on to him. “Royce, oh, please. Royce. I’m feeling; Royce!” 

I pushed his head away at the last moment and watched as I splattered his chest and chin with my seed. He looked surprised, then I saw his gaze shift to something hungry. He opened a drawer under my legs and removed a packet and a bottle. I wasn’t sure what either of them were for, but I watched as he poured liquid onto his fingers.  

He kissed me as he pressed me back onto the bed, and a moment later, I felt the cool liquid on his fingers slide into the crease of my ass. As he kissed me, he found some very sensitive place with his digits that I had no idea existed for humanoid bodies.

“OH!” Royce froze and stopped kissing me.

“Did I hurt you? Do you want me to stop?” He was breathing hard, and his mating organ brushed against my ass. 

“No, no. I was surprised.” I gave him a kiss to reassure him. “It was good, really good. Please. More.”

He moved his fingers again, and I half-moaned then yelled. 

“Are you sure?” He whispered. I could hear the hesitation and concern in his voice.

“Yes! Royce. Please. Don’t stop,” I whimpered as I burned from the pleasure of it. If he stopped I’d never reach the fire that waited on the other side, the same one he’d given me before. I was afraid that it would fall back into the embers he’d stoked alive with his mouth. “Please, Royce. Please. I am okay.” 

I grasped at the arm he had between my legs and pushed myself onto his fingers. I groaned and did it again. It was enough to get him to continue and he kissed me again. After he built a steady rhythm and I was on the verge of ecstasy, he pulled his fingers from my body. 

I felt empty for a moment before he pressed the head of himself at my anal cavity. I had heard some kind of packet being opened, but I hadn’t known what it was for. I felt the subtle difference now and realized it must have been a barrier of some kind. I wondered why, but didn’t have time to think about it much as he slowly pressed into me. 

The action bowed my back and had me scrambling. I didn’t know which way to go, the pleasure and the burn were so intense. This was what I needed, what I wanted. The embers felt like they were being stoked to a high flame, a volcano of need welled up in me. 

Royce moved onto the bed and repositioned us. I wrapped my legs around him again as he lifted my hips and grasped my ass. He slid deeper into me and I gasped like a fish on land. He pressed me back into the bed with his weight on me as he slowly thrust. I kissed him and held him as he settled into my body, the weight of his need so evident between my legs. 

“Royce, don’t stop. You can have this.” He moaned softly as his hips moved more quickly, and our flesh made light slapping noises. I remembered what I thought the first night I saw him, floating in the water. I said it in my language since I didn’t know the words in his. It came out of my human mouth in hums and clicks. "Soul of my soul, you are seen. We are one."

I let myself crest through the wave of ecstasy Royce had given me. A few moments later, he cried out above me and I held him as he shook. Then I held him longer as he wept. I wasn’t sure why he cried. I didn’t ask, and it didn’t matter. I knew for certain what he might have only understood by instinct: We belonged together.